Hosanna
This is the text of Restoration’s Palm Sunday sermon, preached over Zoom, by The Rev. David Hanke. Hosanna! means ‘save us!’ When the crowds shout Hosanna! They are asking to be saved.
[8] Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. [9] And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” [10] And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” (ESV)
Matthew 21:8–10
Intro and Frame
I want us to start with the shout of Hosanna that greeted Jesus as he arrived in Jerusalem.
With great sincerity, the people wanted to be saved. “Hosanna! Save us!”
As the crowd lives the week to come, salvation is the topic that most frequently comes up. Hosanna will be whispered and shouted and acted out.
Who will save whom? And what will salvation be?
Hosanna is the fundamental cry of humanity: We want to be saved. We want to be released and delivered. We want to be rescued, set free, and led by someone else. The cry of our soul has not changed. But the object of our hosannas is myriad.
Matthew 26:36-27:54
Can I die without dying?
It starts with Jesus, in the garden. Jesus begins with his own hosanna. He’d like to save himself.
After their last supper, Jesus knew the narrative of saving was put irrevocably in motion. Judas had dipped his bread and slipped out the back.
As He prayed, Jesus was clear-eyed in his vision and He could feel the coming loss and abandonment deep in His gut. He asks his Father if he can save himself.
If it be possible, let this cup pass from me.
If it be possible, let this cup pass from me.
If it be possible, let this cup pass from me.
3 times. Jesus was in for the project of salvation. He was open to being the savior. But He was asking- is there a way to save without the physical torture and the crushing abandonment? Can I die without dying?
The question lingers in the damp air of Gethsemane. Jesus strains to hear through the silence. Can the hosanna be for me? Can I save myself? Ultimately he was IN and He drained this hosanna cup to the very bottom.
Almost immediately, Judas comes on the scene, intent to save himself from his decision to follow Jesus. At some point he had said yes to Jesus, just like the other 12. Now he was trying to say no- with a kiss and a ‘change fee’ of 30 silver pieces.
He is able to escape from ‘friend of Jesus’ to ‘betrayer of Jesus’, but he’s never quite able to get away from himself. His hosanna is to throw the money back and to throw his life down.
Not much saved. Much lost.
The disciples try to save themselves.
Their hosannas start with a drawn sword. One of them cuts off the ear of Caiaphas’ servant.
Jesus rebukes that disciple by saying, I don’t need you to save me with your sword. Put it away. If I wanted to be saved, I could ask my Father for 12,000 angels and he would send them. YOU are not going to save ME and definitely not with that.
Their next hosanna occurs as Jesus is led away: the disciples, the whole team, tries to save themselves by leaving Jesus, by running away. They fled. (26:56b)
Peter would give that hosanna words in the courtyard of the high priest. “I do not know what you mean. I do not know the man. I swear- I do not know the man.”
Hosanna by dead sprint, by distance and disassociation.
Caiaphas wants to save his campaign.
Frederick Buechner quote.
Caiaphas’ math was unassailable. Jesus’ math was atrocious.
Caiaphas’ hosanna was to find false witnesses to accuse Jesus. And eventually one of the accusations sticks: ‘This man said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in 3 days.’ (Matthew 26:60)
This was outrageous to Caiaphas- Have you no answer[...]
